Road icebreaker



June 20, 1944. GETTELMAN 2,351,755

ROAD ICE BREAKER Filed April 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l AT TT) ENEYS,

June 20, 1944.

F. GETTELMAN ROAD ICE BREAKER led April 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fEOE/CK GETTEA Mfl/V TORNEY Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,351,755 RoAn ICEBREAKER Fredrick Gettelman, Milwaukee, Wis. Application April 1, 1943, Serial No-4s1,4 4 7 14 Claims. (Cl. 262-19) This invention relates to a road ice breaker.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide novel and improved means, preferably in the form of an attachment for existing vehicles, for removing ice from pavements for the widening of wheel tracks and increasing the available ice-free area of highways under winter conditions.

In the past, the removal of ice from highways has been accomplished almost entirely by hand and attempts to solve the problem of ice removal by mechanical means have been devoted to power operated picks and the like, quite largely. The present invention operates on an entirely different principle and is based upon the discovery that if room is available into which fragments of ice can move, such fragments can be detached from the main body of ice by highly localized pressure applied to a cutting edge or series of points.

A very important objective of the present invention is to eliminate any possibility of injury to the pavements themselves. All ice removing operations, whether conducted by hand or machine, have heretofore endangered the pavements. The present invention functions without the slightest possibility of pavement injury.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon analysis of the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a Vehicle to which an ice breaking attachment embodying this invention is applied, the device being shown in section while in operation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, portions thereof being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in plan on a reduced scale of the rear end portion of a vehicle chassis showing the apparatus of Fig. 1 applied thereto and showing supplemental apparatus also carried by the chassis.

Fig. 4 is a modified application to a vehicle of the ice breaking devices shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating in section a modified form of ice breaking attachment applied to a vehicle wheel.

Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating a modified application of ice breaking disks embodying this invention to a trailer.

Fig. 7 is a detail view taken in section on the line 'l'! of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view taken in transverse section through a vehicle frame illustrating a modified mounting.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

One very simple, application of theinvention involves the adaptation thereof to a conventional supplemental rim Got a dual wheeled vehicle. The chassis fragmentarily illustrated in Fig. 3 is that of a-conventional dual wheeled vehicle having frame members 1 and a rear axle 8 carrylng the usual dual wheels 9 and H1 at each side of the chassis. 1

In accordance with the present invention the tire of the supplemental wheel in at the right hand side of the chassis has been removed and a disk l5 applied by welding, or otherwise, to the rim 6 and braced therefrom at IS. The outer periphery of disk I5 is sharpened or made wedgelike either by cutting into it a succession of teeth I! as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, or by sharpening it to a wedge-shaped continuous annular edge l8 such as is shown in Fig. 5 in the embodiment hereinafter to be described.

The radius of the circular ice cutting periphery of the member I5 is slightly less than that of the inflated tire of the wheel 9. In practice it has been found satisfactory to use a disk ii of a diameter 2" less than that of the wheel which carries the weight of thevehicle from the pavement surface S.

In regions where there is considerable ice and snow it will be found that the portion of the highway traversed regularly by vehicles will tend to stay relatively clean, usually in the form of a single track in which the wheels of the vehicle directly contact the pavement.

Outside of this track, at either or both sides of it, there will heavy deposits I9 of ice or packed and partially frozen snow which defies any ordinary means of removal. By having the cutting edge of the diskl5 spaced materially from the wheel it is possible to operate the wheel along the usual pavement track in the usual manner while still allowing the disk l5 to traverse the edge of the ice mass l9.

Wherever the ice mass has a thickness greater than 1" from the level of the pavement surface S, the cutting edge of the disk will ride onto the ice mass and thereupon the entire weight of the superimposed portion of the vehicle will be transferred from the wheel 9 to the disk, as the latter tends to ride up onto the ice.

As distinguished from an auxiliary wheel of any type, wherein the effort is to distribute the load, the function of my ice breaking disk is to concentrate the load of the vehicle on a portion of the ice mass parallelingthe path of movement of the vehicle and virtually amounting to a line, having length with very little width. The result of such concentration of load linearly upon the ice mass is to cause the portion 20 of the ice mass lying between the disk l5 and the wheel track to break free of the mass, being delivered toward the wheel, by the wedging action of disk IS, in relatively small and easily displaced fragments.

In order to achieve this result it is necessary that the disk l5 shall not be too, close to the wheel. In the first place, the wheel 9, following the usual track along the highway, will not ordinarily approach within several inches of the ice mass l9, and in the second place, if the Wheel 9 lies so close to the path of disk I5 as to engage the ice mass, then the wheel will reinforce and support the portions 20 of the ice mass against being dislodged by the wedging of the disk. I have found 5 to be a desirable spacing of-the disk l5 from a wheel which is co-axial therewith, and I think that the spacing should be more than 4" to be'practical. It may be greater than 5", if desired, but should not be too great to permit fragments 2!! to be broken from the ice mass under weight of the vehicle. In other words, the disk tendsfinits trjavel over the ice, to establish a plane of cleavage and to' force the fragments 29 to separate from the rest of the ice mass along this cleavage plane and to be displaced laterally under the pressure. If the attempt to establish acleavage plane is made at a point too far remote from the edge of the ice mass, the adhesion of the ice mass between the attempted cleavage plane and the edge of the mass will be greater than can be overcome by the wedging action of the disk.

Where numerous buses and trucks equipped with dual wheels are using a highway more or less regularly, itis conveniently possible to 'apply my ice breaking disk as above described in lieu of one of the supplemental wheels of one or more of such vehicles so that'in successive passages along the highwaysuccessive strips will be cut from the ice mass, thereby continuously widening the track until all of the iceis loosened. At any desired point a conventional scraper may be employed to throw out of the vehicle'track the fragments ofice dislodged by the breaker.

Whenever it is desired to break several rows of ice fragments from the ice mass in each traverse thereof, it is possible for a single vehicle to carry several of the breaking disks, this being illustrated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. In each of these views I have shown a sub-frame 25 slung beneath the axles of the vehicle and provided with cross shafts 26 and 21 to the ends of which the disks l5 are journalled. The cross shaft 21 being somewhat'longer'than cross shaft 2E5, it carries its ice breaking disk l5 at a greater distance from the path traversed by the vehicle wheel 9. Again the spacing between the breaking disks 85 carried by the cross shafts 26 and 21 may be of the order of 5". These disks may be used with or without a disk. l5 substituted for one of the dual wheels of the vehicle as already described. Fig. 3 shows the auxiliary disks [5' located behind and progressively offset outwardly from the rear vehicle wheels. This is the preferred location since the ice dislodged by the disks I5 is not thrown beneath the propelling wheels of the vehicle. The auxiliary disks I5 may, however, be mounted similarly in a position between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle as suggested .in Fig. 4, successive disks being offset from each other-in an outward direction just as is done in Fig. 3.

Regardless of the diameter of disks not coaxial with the wheels, the spacing of the cutting edges of such disks from the pavement may de-- sirably be about one inch and since the disks cannot move vertically except with the wheels,v

no contact with the pavement is possible.

It is not necessary that the cutting edges.

which very highly concentrates the load of the vehicle upon a linear portion of an ice mass traversed thereby. The dished shape of the ice breaking member 15" is of assistance in displacing fragments of ice from the mass frozen to the pavement.

In the device shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the trailer frame 10 is connected directly to the front axle 89- and the rear axle BI and may be loaded to any desired or necessary extent. The absence of springs requires that the frame and its load move directly with the wheels so that the clearance between the various ice cutting disks and the pavement will be maintained.

A pair of disks I50 are mounted within the frame on the cross shaft 39. These disks are so located as to cut away the ice from any mass which may lie between the wheel ruts. Behind the cross shaft 33, there may be another cross shaft 3! with ice cutting disks l5i somewhat closer together than disks 159 to break away the remaining ice between the wheel ruts.

One .or both of the rear wheels may carry a cutting disk l5 and at one or both sides of the vehicle the cross arms 256 and Eli! may carry additional disks I5, as inthe construction shown in Fig. 3. However, in the disclosure of Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, there is a provision for adjusting the clearance of the ice cutting disks l5 at the outer ends of the lever arms 260 and 210. These arms are pivoted at 32 to one side of the frame and at the other'side of the frame they are adjustable on a hand screw 35 swiveled at 36 to the frame. By turning the individual screws, the ends of the respective levers may be adjusted up or down to vary the positions of the disks [5 at their outer ends vertically with respect to the pavement. This is-merely an exemplification of various available means of adjustment. It enables the device, whether mounted on a trailer or otherwise, to be properly adjusted with respect to a highway which may have a considerable crown, like that indicated at 31 in Fig. 8.

The device shown in Fig. 8 is one which does not impose the load of the vehicle itself upon the cutting disk, but provides a separate load imposed on such disk. The frame H has lever arm 26! pivoted to it at 32L The outer end of the lever arm is free for vertical movement of the disk I5 which is mounted thereon. A set screw at 38 adjustably limits the approach of the cutting disk to the pavement. A bracket at 39 carries a load block 49, the weight of which determines the pressure on the cutting disk. If the disk encounters something which is harder than usual, it is free torise about the pivot 32!, lifting the mass 49 inso doing. The mass 48 will be so determined as to enable the diek 55 in this device to cut and break away any ice of predetermined or usual resistance.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that it is immaterial whether or not my ice breaking member is subjected to driving power. It is equally effective when it merely idles, as upon shafts 26 and 21. It is at all times necessarily supported free of the pavement surface S and consequently, despite the great concentration of load resulting from its sharpened edges, it can 00- ,jacent portions of the streets casion no damage whatever to the pavement, whatever the character of the pavement.

Since the device requires no particular attention on the part of the operator, it may be used on commercial vehicles without in any way interfering with the employment of such vehicles for their routine duties. The ice will be broken free of the pavement adjacent the path of such vehicles without any special expense other than that which may later be involved in using a conventional scraper r plow to throw the ice aside. Where the number of extended projections of the cutting members is sufficiently great to require, auxiliary supporting frames such as that shown at 29 in Fig. 3 may be added in any requisite form.

In all forms of the invention the ice breaking member is preferably mounted on an unsprung portion of the vehicle. That is to say, it should be carried by the vehicle axles as distinguished from the vehicle frame. In the first place, this precludes any engagement of the cutting edges with the pavement, and in the second place it assures the imposition of the vehicle weight on the cutting edge. When the disk runs onto an ice mass adjacent the path of travel of the wheel, the disk cannot rise onto the ice mass without raising the wheel from the pavement so that all of the weight of that portion of the vehicle normally borne by the wheel is transferred to the cutting edges of the ice breaking member.

While I have shown the ice cutting disks applied only to vehicles equipped with conventional pneumatic wheels, it will, of course, be understood that the invention is applicable to rail Vehicles and particularly to street cars which, in operating over city streets, are able to clear adof ice through using the cutting disks herein described.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vehicle wheel, of an ice breaking element having a generally circular form, and means mounting said element to said wheel in spaced relation thereto, said element having a peripheral cutting edge sufficiently continuous to establish a cleavage plane in ice traversed by said element, whereby to break fragments from such ice and to displace the fragments laterally toward the wheel.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said element is sufficiently smaller in diameter than the wheel to be supported permanently out of contact with a pavement surface traversed by the wheel.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said element has peripheral teeth. I

4. The device of claim 1 in which said element has a sharpened periphery comprising a substantially continuous cutting edge wedge-shaped in transverse section.

5. The combination with a vehicle having a rear axle and wheels, of a sub-frame connected with said axle, a cross member on the sub-frame projecting beyond one of said wheels, and an ice breaking disk mounted on said cross member outside of the path of travel of the wheel in a position to act upon ice adjacent to such path.

6. The device of claim 5 in which said'disk is provided with ice penetrating peripheral means suinciently continuous to tend to establish a cleavage plane in ice traversed by the disk for the wedging of fragments from the edge of such ice.

7. The device of claim 5 in which said disk has peripheral teeth.

8. The device of claim 5 in which said disk is is concavely dished and has a beveled periphery providing a sharpened margin.

9. The device of claim 5 in which said cross member and disk are located rearwardly of the nearest forward wheel. said disk being also offset laterally outside of the path of travel of such wheel.

10. The combination, with a vehicle wheel, of an associated ice cutting disk of smaller diameter than the wheel mounted on the wheel axle for travel adjacent the path of the wheel on ice having a surface at a higher level than that on which the wheel travels, and under load normally carried by said wheel.

11. The combination with a vehicle wheel, of an associated ice cutting disk of smaller diameter than the wheel, and connected with the wheel for travel adjacent the path of the wheel on ice having a surface at a higher level than that on which the wheel travels under load normally carried by said wheel, saiddisk being mounted in wheel track-widening relation to the wheel.

12. In an ice breaking device for the specified purpose, the combination with a vehicle having wheels for normal travel on the surface of a roadway, of a serie'sof cross members in fixed relation to the vehicle axles and sub-frame, ice breaking cutters carried by the cross members adjacent the paths of the vehicle wheels and in wheel track-widening relation thereto, said cutters being supported at a fixed predetermined distance above the roadway surface and adapted for load supporting travel on ice having a surface at a higher level than that on which the wheel normally travels, whereby the cutters may be subjected to at least a portion of the load when in engagement with the ice.

13. In an ice breaking device for the specified purpose, the combination with a vehicle having wheels for normal travel on the surface of a roadway, of a series of cross members in fixed relation to the vehicle axles and sub-frame, detachable idly revoluble cutter disks carried by the cross members adjacent the paths of the vehicle wheels and in wheel track-widening relation thereto, said cutters being supported at a fixed predetermined distance above the roadway surface.

14. The combination with a four-wheeled vehicle adapted for travel at normal trucking speed along a highway, of at least one ice cutting disk and means supporting said disk from the vehicle in a position fixed against vertical movement respecting one of said vehicle wheels and with its lower edge above the tread surfaces of the said vehicle Wheel and laterally ofiset just a few inches from the line of travel of the nearest face of said wheel, said disk having an ice cleaving peripheral portion free for idling engagement with ice in its path and being adapted to receive and carry a portion of the vehicle load when encountering ice along the side of a rut in which said adjacent wheel is traveling, whereby to sever fragments of such ice and widen the rut.

FREDRICK GET'I'ELMAN. 

